Home Again: Nicki Parrott Swings the Southern Hemisphere

Like her music, Nicki Parrott has traveled far from her birthplace in Newcastle, Australia, and established an international reputation as both a renowned bassist and vocalist. Such a path was far from the norm in the area best known for its heavy industries, but she benefited from having parents who loved music and encouraged her talents. Parrott tried several instruments before finding her true fit. By her mid-teens she had switched from studying classical piano to jazz bass. Between playing in school bands, getting help from a neighbor, listening to a lot of jazz and trying to figure it out, she made enough progress to determine her future career. “I was pretty awful at 18, but I got gigs. I learned on the job. I wasn’t scared of it; I just wasn’t good for a while.” After high school, she studied in Sydney’s New South Wales Conservatorium of Music. She even snagged lessons from touring American artists such as Ray Brown and John Clayton. She had, however, read Rufus Reid’s classic bass book Evolving Upward and was determined to try to study with him. She sent him a tape of her playing and requested private lessons. Awarded one of two Arts Council Grants given that year, she made that desire a reality. It was a ten-month grant, but when it was up, “I thought I hadn’t even skimmed the surface, so I was determined to stay.” Where to stay was simple: “I loved the